Knights Reach Attendance Milestone.

200,000 Fan Mark Eclipsed in Weekend Series.

The Corvallis Knights reached a significant attendance milestone during this weekend's West Coast League series with the Walla Walla Sweets.

The 200,000th fan in franchise history entered Goss Stadium during the 9-6 victory over the Sweets on July 12. The Knights have drawn 201,774 fans in their six-plus seasons since moving to Corvallis in 2007 (pictured is a panoramic view of the team's July 3 sellout crowd this season).

No special ceremony marked the occasion and the exact identity of the 200,000th fan will never be known. But he or she represented a major accomplishment for the franchise, which was relocated from Gresham after averaging less than 100 fans per game at Mt. Hood Community College in 2005 and 2006.

"We are thrilled to reach this milestone and it's just another indication of how well we've been embraced by residents throughout the mid-valley," Knights general manager Bre Kerkvliet said.

"We have strived to be a good partner with all our local communities and to become a summer institution in this area. The support local fans and businesses have shown for our team since we moved here has been spectacular and we are very appreciative of that."

The Knights drew 12,729 fans in their first season (2007). That number increased steadily over the next four summers to a record 42,447 in 2011, when they swept Walla Walla to win their second WCL championship.

They drew 41,834 in 2012 and are on pace to match or surpass that number this season. Corvallis has drawn 26,392 fans in 21 home dates, an average of 1,257 per opening.

The Knights all-time attendance record is 3,506 for a July 3 Fireworks Night encounter against the Bend Elks in 2009. Capacity was capped at 2,930 after that night and the Knights have hit that magic number on every subsequent holiday Fireworks Night game.

KNIGHTS ATTENDANCE

2007: 12,729
2008: 17,299
2009: 30.064
2010: 31,000
2011: 42,447
2012: 41,834
2013 (as of 7/10): 22,292
TOTAL: 197,674